Butch Jones chooses seniority over stardom with SEC Media Days player delegation

Butch Jones chooses seniority over stardom with SEC Media Days player delegation

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee will be represented by a trio of seniors at next week's Southeastern Conference Media Days event in Hoover, Ala.

Offensive guard Jashon Robertson, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley and defensive tackle Kendal Vickers will each make their SEC Media Days debuts on Monday, when Tennessee takes its turn on the first day of the annual event.

The league announced a schedule and player representatives on Wednesday for the four-day event that serves as an unofficial kickoff to college football's preseason.

Tennessee's contingent is lacking in stardom, but it includes three players who have diligently progressed through the program and provided steady on-field contributions. Each are the most-experienced player at their respective position.

Tennessee's Kendal Vickers (39) tackles Florida's Jordan Scarlett (25). The Florida Gators visited the Tennessee Volunteers in a important SEC football contest at Neyland Stadium on September 24, 2016.

Vickers is a fifth-year senior who has started 25 games the last two seasons while the Volunteers dealt with injuries on the defensive line. The Havelock, N.C. native, who once was committed to South Carolina, posted a career-high seven tackles in UT's loss to the Gamecocks last season.

Robertson switched from defense to offensive line before his freshman season and started every game. The Nashville native has started 34 games in his Tennessee career and is considered the anchor of what should be a deep offensive front for the Volunteers in 2017.

Moseley has been through ups and downs at cornerback over his Tennessee career but has played in all but one game since his debut in 2014. The Greensboro, N.C. native racked up 57 tackles and six pass deflections last season.

The players will be ushered from room to room on Monday afternoon to speak with print, radio and television journalists ahead of the upcoming college football season.

Tennessee brought Joshua Dobbs, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Cameron Sutton, all seniors at the time, to the event in 2016.